Afghan Interpreter and family finally in US

Hi, I'm Melissa, a newly retired US Army Officer. This is a story to show that successful stories take a village.

This is Ahmad, and his family. He and I served together on Camp Eggers (2012-2013 for me, he was there much longer) in Kabul Afghanistan during the US War on Terrorism. Our paths crossed and he served our mission faithfully. I redeployed in June 2013 but we didn't keep in touch.

Fast forward to August 2021, I was working at the Pentagon and assisting with the evacuation and close out of our operations in Afghanistan. Ahmad contacted me, desperate to find someone who could help him find his former "contract representative" who could verify his US employment. By the grace of God, that man was still working for the Army in the same office! I tracked him down in the middle of chaos and he was able to assist.

With this employment verification letter, Ahmad completed the special immigrant visa (SIV) application created by Congress for Afghans who put their lives in danger to help and serve with US military.

The State Department then did their job and vetted the family's application; after 18 months it was approved but the family had no way to leave the country. The Taliban are still hunting those who helped the US and won't issue travel documents to them. They were stuck in limbo.

I said it takes a village... the civilian organization, No One Left Behind, helped me rattle the right cages to get Ahmad and his family on a US sponsored flight to Qatar. In May, they left their parents and a sister and everything they have ever known and boarded a plane. To safety but also the unknown.

They arrived at the US processing center with more work to be done. At least no one was hunting them there but they needed to find resources and support organizations to help them transition to life in America.

After 3 months, they finally received their tickets to America and they arrived in California this morning!

Their 4 children only have the clothes and few toys in their suitcases... his wife is learning English so she can adapt to their new community in Sacramento, where they will be resettled.

You are my village. Please help me get this family settled in their new home. They need everything: clothes, furniture, dishes, toys, towels, linens... money is the easiest way to help since it is very expensive to ship goods to CA but that might a possibility for some things.

But this family has very little to their name and will need everything to make a new life.

All donations will be given to the family but I will ensure it is going to their needs and is spent wisely.

Please donate and share this to friends and family that would like to help this family that helped our soldiers in Afghanistan.

Thank you